Door latch and lock mechanism



May 22, 19 2 H. DE VlNES 3,035,432

DOOR LATCH AND LOCK MECHANISM Filed Feb. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I l0

' INVENTOR. HOLLIS DE VINES BY I TWW 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1959 INVENTOR.

HOLLIS DE VINES I. its

This invention relates to improvements in latch sets and lock sets for use on doors and similar closures.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the construction and operation of door locks and latches; to provide a door latch or lock which is simple and inexpensive in construction, which may be quickly and readily installed, and which insures ruggedness and reliability of operation; to provide a door latch or lock which consists of a pair of factory-assembled spindle and knob-supporting housings, one for each side of a door and a factory-assembled latch bolt unit, said units to be quickly and readily combined and assembled in the door; to provide an improved form of bedroom or bathroom privacy lock; to provide a latch or lock having a novel form of dogging mechanism whereby the outer knob and spindle may be dogged or locked by the turning of a button carried by the inner knob; to provide means whereby the outer knob and spindle may be released during an emergency; to provide key actuated means in the outer knob for releasing both knobs and spindles; and further to provide a novel form of clamping posts.

The invention as shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings and which,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the latch set mounted in a door.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section of the latch set partly broken away.

FIG. 3 is a section taken of line 3-3 FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section of the same line but showing the locking plates in extended or locked position.

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the clamping posts.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the locking plates.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the outer spindle housing, showing the cup-shaped housing and other parts removed.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing one of the clamping posts removed from FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the turn button bar.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the latch bolt with the retractor plate attahced thereto, and the spring whereby the latch bolt is normally held in projected position.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the torque or drive plate which closes the inner end of Spindle 9.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the cup-shaped spindle housing which has been removed from the outer spindle housing assembly shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the latch bolt unit.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the inner cup-shaped housing.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the torque or drive plate which closes the inner end of spindle 11.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the channel-shaped bar which carries the turn button.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the inner knob and spindle housing, but showing the cup-shaped member of FIG. 15 removed.

FIG. 19 is an end view of the inner spindle housing assembly.

The latch set briefly described consists of two spindle and knob supporting housings indicated at A and B and in addition thereto, there is a latch unit indicated at C. These units are preassembled in the factory and they are atent separable, but even so are quickly and readily combined and installed in a door.

Each of the spindle and knob supporting housings consists of three parts, first, a cup-shaped member, see FIGS. 13 and 15, which enters and fits a a transverse opening formed in the door. The cup-shaped member or members has an inner bearing plate 2, with a bearing opening 3 formed therein, and it has an outer flange 4. Second, an outer bearing plate 5 of the same diameter as flange 4 is provided with an outwardly extending bearing hub 6, and third, there is an escutcheon plate 7 having an inturned flange 8, which is spun over the outer edge of plate 5 and flange 4 of the cup-shaped housing, thus forming an assembly. Both of the spindle and knob supporting housings are identical, but they carry different forms of mechanisms which cooperate to form the lock set or a privacy lock and the like.

The outer spindle housing A supports a spindle 9 and an outer knob 10. The inner spindle housing B supports a spindle 11 and a knob 12. The outer spindle 9 has a roll-back member 14 formed on its inner end, see FIG. 8, and this extends into and telescopes with relation to spindle 11. Spindle 11 is closed at its inner end by a torque or drive plate 15, see FIGS. 2, 16, and 19, but the drive plate is provided with an arcuate cutaway portion 16, of the same shape and size as the roll back. The roll back member extends through this opening into spindle 11, thus forming an inner lock between the spindles whereby rotation of one spindle will be transmitted to the other. The outer spindle housing also carries a pair of posts 19, which are secured therein in a manner hereafter to be described. The posts are internally threaded to receive a pair of clamping screws 20, see FIG. 18. The functions of these screws will also be later described.

The latch bolt unit C is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 14. The unit is of more or less standard construction as it consists of a face plate 21 through which the latch bolt 22 extends. Attached to the rear face of the face plate is a tubular housing 23 and forming an extension thereof is a pair of spaced anchor plates 24 which serve as a guide or a retractor bar 25, see FIG. 11. This bar is secured to the inner end of the latch bolt and is surrounded by a spring 26 which normally holds the latch bolt and the retractor bar in projected position, Also it has an opening 25a through which the roll back 14 extends as Will later be described.

A door intended to receive a latch set or this character must have two holes bored therein, first, a large hole, comparatively speaking, as indicated at 27, and secondly, a smaller hole 28, see FIG. 1, which is bored through the edge of the door while the larger hole is disposed at right angles thereto. When installing the latch sets of the present invention, the latch bolt unit is first inserted in the smaller hole which is drilled through the edge of the door and is secured in place by a pair of screws passing through the face plate 21. The spindle housing unit A is then inserted in the larger hole from the exterior side of the door. During installation of this unit, the roll back member will pass through an opening 29 formed in the anchor plates and also through the opening 25a of 4 the retractor plate, and care must be taken to align the posts 19 with the hole 30 and the slot 31 formed in the anchor plates, as the posts must pass therethrough to form an interlock therewith. With the two units in place, it will be found that the roll back member 14 projects beyond the inner face of the door. This is desirable because in applying the inner spindle housing B care must be taken that the roll back member enters the arcuate opening 16 formed in the drive plate 15, which is secured in spindle 11, and as the drive plate is secured in the spindle, and the arcuate opening is of the same size and shape as the roll back member, an interlock will be formed between the two spindles, causing them to function as a solid spindle. The interlock permits telescoping of the roll back member with relation to the drive plate and spindle 11, and the same is true of the posts as they telescope with relation to the anchor plates. This telescoping action of the roll back member and the posts is important as it permits adjustment of the units A and B with relation to the anchor plates when doors of varying thickness are encountered.

With the roll back member in the arcuate opening in the drive plate 15 and the posts 19 in alignment with holes 3a formed in the bearing plate of the inner spindle housing, it is only necessary to push unit B into contact with the inner face of the door and then to secure it and unit A in place by means of screws 20. These screws pass through openings 33 formed in the inner escutcheon plate, and as the holes or openings 33 align with the internally threaded ends of the posts, installation of the lock will be completed when the screws are tight.

The structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and so far described is intended for use on inside doors where no locking of the door is necessary, but where privacy is required such as in bedrooms and bathrooms, etc., the latch set may be readily converted to a lock set in which both knobs are dogged or locked against rotation by manipulation of a turn button on the inner knob. The mechanism required to convert the latch set to a lock set briefly stated, comprises a button 34 carried by the inner knob 12, a channel-shaped member 35, a bar 36, and a pair of locking plates 37, whereby both knobs and spindles are dogged or locked against rotation. The channel-shaped member 35 is best shown in FIG. 17. The button 34 is secured to one end thereof while the other end is bent down at right angles as at 39 and has a slot 40 formed therein through which bar 36 extends, see FIG. 2. It was previously stated that the inner end of the spindle 11 which carries the inner knob 12 was closed by a drive plate 15 and that the drive plate formed an interlock between the inner and outer spindles when the roll back member passed through the arcuate slot 16 formed therein. This drive plate serves two other functions. First, by referring to FIG. 16 it will be seen that the drive plate has a hole 16a formed in its center through which bar 36 extends. Thus the drive plate serves as the support for the bar. Secondly, by referring to FIG. 2 it will be noted that the end 39 of the channel-shaped member 35 abuts the drive plate while the flange on the button 34 engages the inner face of knob 12, thus a second function is that of retaining the channel-shaped member and button from endwise movement within spindle 11, but it permits rotation of the button and channel-shaped member. The only addition that has been made to the spindle and knob housing assembly B is the channel-shaped member 35, and the turn button 34.

The bar 36 and the locking plates 37 are carried by the outer spindle and knob housing assembly A. The locking plates are best shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 7. By referring to FIG. 7 it will be noted that the locking plates are identical in shape and size, being in general rectangular shaped. In FIG. 7 they are shown as reversed with relation to each other. This shows the position they assume when placed in the spindle. One end of each plate is notched as shown at 38, to interlock with the posts 19. In the approximate center of each plate is formed a rectangular shaped opening 39, and in one corner of each opening is formed a rounded shoulder 40, the function of which will later be described. The spindle 9 has two slots 41 and 42 formed therein at a point close to the outer bearing plate 5. The plates in the position shown in FIG. 7 are placed face to face in these slots as clearly shown in FIG. 8, and when projected interlock with the posts 19, see FIG. 4, thereby dogging or locking the spindles or knobs against rotation, conversely when retracted as shown in FIG. 3 the spindles are free to rotate.

The locking plates are actuated by the button bar 36, which extends through the openings 39 formed in the plates, the bar is, in turn, actuated by the button 34, when the button is turned in the direction of arrow a, see FlG. 3, it turns bar 35, see FIG. 17, and this turns bar 36 in the same direction and as the bar turns in relation to plates 37 it engages the end faces 39a of the openings formed in the plates, thus forcing the plates outwardly to a point where the notched ends 38 interlock with the posts 19, conversely when the button and bar turns in the direction of arrow b, see FIG. 4, the bar engages the rounded shoulders 40 and the plates will be retracted.

The locking plates are reversed end for end as previously stated when inserted in the slots formed in the spindles. The faces 39a in the openings in the plates may be termed cam faces as it is these faces with which the bar engages. The cam faces are disposed on opposite sides of bar 36, and when it is rotated the plates move in unison radially but in opposite directions, so that one plate will interlock with the upper post 19 and the other plate with the lower post, see FIG. 3, this insures a double lock to lock the spindles against rotation. The locking plates also serve another function, to wit, that of limiting rotation of bar 36 to one quarter revolution. Because of this limited rotation, the button 34 assumes either a horizontal or vertical orientation, thereby serving as a visual indicator as to whether the door is locked or unlocked.

It will be noted that bar 36, see FIG. 10, is wider in the middle than at the ends, so as to form shoulders 36a and 3612. These shoulders serve to retain the bar against endwise removal from spindle, as the shoulder 36a engages the washer 15 secured at one end of the spindle and shoulder 36b abuts a key actuated cylinder 46 at the other end, see FIG. 2, that is, the bar 36 may be cut off at the shoulder 36b when a key mechanism is used and the latch set may therefore be used as an outside lock. Again by removing the key-actuated cylinder from the knob the reduced end 360 will extend into the knob and by forming a notch 48 in the end thereof a screwdriver or the like may be inserted through the hole in the outer knob to rotate the bar, thus providing an emergency means for opening the door from the outside of such rooms as bathrooms and bedrooms, etc. From the foregoing it will be noted that the latch set may be used between rooms where no lock is needed. It may be used as a privacy lock in bathrooms, bedrooms, etc., and it may be used as an outside lock by adding the key mechanism shown in FIG. 2.

In this type of lock and in cylinder types of locks where the spindle supporting housing A and B are secured by the posts 19 and screws 20 when installed in the door, trouble has been encountered in securing the posts against rotation when tightening the screws. This problem has been overcome in the present structure by simply flattening the ends of the posts as shown at 50, and inserting the flattened ends in slots 51 formed in the outer bearing plates 5. This has in actual practice proved to be a simple and effective way of overcoming the problem of rotation of the posts. To secure the posts against endwise removal a shoulder is formed on each post and shown at 52. This shoulder engages the inner face of the bearing plate 2, thus the posts are secured against endwise removal and rotation without the necessity of welding or the use of other means.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patents is:

1. In a lock set of the character described, a hollow spindle, a bearing support therefor, a pair of transverse opposed slots formed in the spindle, a pair of locking plates each extending through the slots and guided thereby said plates being in face to face contact, an opening formed in each plate, said openings presenting cam faces, a bar within the spindle, said bar extending through the openings in the plates, button actuated means adjacent one end of the bar for rotating the bar in one direction to engage the cam faces and thereby to radially project the locking plates with reiation to the spindle, a pair of posts with which the plates interlock to lock the spindle against rotation and a shoulder formed in the opening of each plate to limit rotation of the bar in either direction, said shoulders also causing retraction of the plates as the bar engages the shoulders during rotation of the bar in the opposite direction.

2. In a lock set of the character described, a hollow spindle, a bearing support therefor, a pair of transverse opposed siots formed in the spindle, a pair of locking plates extending through the slots and guided thereby, an opening formed in each plate, said openings presenting cam faces, a bar within the spindle, said bar extending through the openings in the plates, button actuated means adjacent one end of the bar for rotating the bar to engage the cam faces and thereby to radially project the locking plates with relation to the spindle, a pair of posts with which the plates interlock to lock the spindle against rotation, and other means at the opposite end of the bar for rotating the bar.

3. In a lock set of the character described, a hollow spindle, a bearing support therefor, a pair of transverse opposed slots formed in the spindle, a pair of locking plates extending through the slots and guided thereby, an

References liter in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 657,885 Patrick Sept. 11, 1900 1,402,104 Soss Jan. 3, 1922 1,668,958 Goodman May 8, 1928 2,207,143 Brauning July 9, 1940 2,226,499 Ledin Dec. 24, 1940 2,736,597 Russell Feb. 28, 1956 2,759,751 Kaiser Aug, 21, 1956 2,795,948 Rayburn June 18, 1957 2,838,926 Schrnid n June 17, 1958 2,872,236 Check Feb. 3, 1959 2,931,206 Friedman et al Apr. 5, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 73,515 Norway May 10, 1948 

